Commonwealth Medical Laboratories
This newsletter is published as a service to our customers.
| CONTENTS:
12 Ways You Can Beat Your Allergies Common Sources of Mold and Fungus How can I limit mold exposure? Learning to Live with Animal Allergies Common Symptoms Associated with Foods Destroying Dust Mites at Home |
DESTROYING
DUST MITES AT HOME If you find yourself having allergic reactions to things in your own house, it doesn't mean your house is a dirty mess. It just means your body may be responding to the dust mites that live with you. Dust mites are microscopic creatures who survive on the shed scales of human skin and create waste particles, which trigger most people's allergic reactions to house dust. Your mattress serves as the biggest breeding ground for dust mites, but pillows, carpets, curtains, and similar fabrics also house these tiny mites. It's nearly impossible to eliminate dust mites from your home, especially since female mites lay 25 to 50 eggs every 3 weeks. But, there is some hope for minimizing the number of these microscopic guests: * Keep your mattress in an air-tight cover. * Encase your pillows in air-tight covers as well, and wash them every week. * Keep the humidity level in your house under 50%. (Mites grow best at 75% to 80% humidity) * Avoid buying heavy curtains; if you have to have them, wash them often. * Remove carpets. Don't try to kill mites by vacuuming. Frequent vacuuming of carpets only eliminates some surface dust. * Clean floors, drawers and closets with an oiled mop or damp cloth. Remember, you can't kill all the dust mites in your house. Even if you could, waste particles from dust mites will make you sneeze and cough even after dust mites are dead. So do your best to control your dust mites instead of letting them control you. |